Music

Stuart Quimby has at any one time been a Classical and Jazz Composer, and Professional Musician (flute, vocals, most of the baroque wind instruments, the Balinese gamelan instruments suling bali, saron, and reong, the blues harp and chromatic harmonica, the trumpet, various keyboards (esp. early synths), and several experimental instruments of his own design). In addition he’s been a Music Educator, Network Analyst and Designer, Security Consultant, Geometer, Lecturer on Childhood Education, Applied Mathematician, Toy Manufacturer and Designer, Chef, Programmer, Restaurateur, Mechanical Engineer,and General Fool.

Quimby has studied with Richard Davis, Paul Robeson, Les Thimmig, Roscoe Mitchell, Robert Dick, Doc Cheatham, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Frans Brüggen among many others.  An abbreviated list of his credits include stints with Luther Allison and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and performances with Paquito D’Rivera,  Ben Sidran, Vassar Clements, Jimmy Schwall, Gordon Lightfoot, the Brüggen Quartet, several chamber groups and classical ensembles, as well as the jazz quartet M.2.Q, which he co-founded. He has recorded on numerous albums over the years in multiple genres.

Quimby has spent almost four decades exploring psycho-acoustics, especially microtonal tunings.  He designed and built several experimental instruments – including a guitar with movable frets and an organ that plays 43 notes per octave.  He has published articles in national journals on microtonal techniques for the flute, pitch perception, and the multi-dimensional representation of wave forms.